Psych Department left out in the cold

The Psychology Department faced a cold, hard truth when it tried to turn on the heat Monday morning. Penn forgot to pay the gas bill. When temperatures plummeted earlier this week, the main department office at 3815 Walnut Street tried to turn on the heat, only to get frigid cold air. Apparently, the University neglected to pay the gas bill for the building, and consequently, Philadelphia Gas Works turned off the heat. The building's occupants are puzzled as to how their particular facility was overlooked when it came time to pay the bills. "For some reason that none of us really understand, the gas bill was not paid for this particular building," Psychology Department Chair Robert Seyfarth said. "We're not very happy." Without heat Monday, Tuesday and most of yesterday, the department was forced to try to find other ways of warming the building. "We've shut all the doors and have little [portable] heaters in the individual rooms," Seyfarth said. Although the rest of the week is expected to be much warmer than the previous few days, PGW did finally restore gas to the building late yesterday afternoon. PGW officials were unable to be reached for comment last night, and Penn Facility Services officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Many of the building's occupants found it strange that Penn was capable of making such a mistake, which only affected one building. "I think it's rather odd to learn that the University hasn't paid its bill," Seyfarth said. However, Seyfarth was also puzzled by PGW's sudden action, explaining that gas companies rarely discontinue service to a building without any warning. "I also think it's odd that the gas company would shut off the gas to the University of Pennsylvania," he said.